hkd16-11
Mr Ricketts, HKD
Hong Kong:
Arrangements for Members of HM Overseas Civil Service:
Meeting with the Chief Secretary 13 November
ent
The Secretary of State had a private meeting with Mr Portillo this morning. No officials were present.
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The main points were:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a)
Mr Portillo did not appear to question the principle that HMG should provide a pensions safeguarde. He had been advised that a fair safeguard rate would be 26:1. He was not, therefore, prepared to accept our proposal of 16:1, but appeared prepared to settle for something between 16:1 and 26:1.
Y\S] 19 1E 2.
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3.
The Chief: Secretary did not mention the private sector option for safeguarding pensionsnders. (zas
The Chief Secretary saw difficulties with the proposals on compensation. He did not see it as a simple choice between Option C and Option D. He questioned what the objective of the scheme would be. Were we trying to persuade officers to remain until 1997 or continue after 1997? This also tied in with the prospect for a Hong Kong Government early retirement scheme.
The Chief Secretary wished to leave to one side the question of amending the SPOS regulations.
The Secretary of State would like officials to discuss the Chief Secretary's points with the Governor in the course of today, with a view to putting a revised proposal to the Chief Secretary tomorrow. Mr Portillo suggested that he and the Secretary of State might meet again later this week. The Secretary of State does not rule out discussion of this issue in OPD(K) on 18 November. But he is inclined not to circulate
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